Whatever it is I am writing, or saying, or thinking,

I need to love whatever is around me,

a flower, a beam of light, a dog, a donkey,

most of all, a human heart who makes me

feel good to be alive,

not bad,

who makes me feel worthwhile,

not worthless,

who supports what I need to do,

not what they need me to do.

I need to hear a donkey bray,

I need to see a sheep grazing

in the field, a dog sniffing the ground,

soaking up the stories of the world,

I need to hear a hen clucking in the roost,

I need

a skyful of clouds,

the light of the sun,

the sound of a stream,

mist on a hill,

a photograph to take,

a friend to trust,

a meal to cook,

a book to read,

a poem to write.

They must be there.

For my heart to beat.

For me to write.

For ideas to flow,

I love what surrounds me.